Why Finest Ian Happ Might Be the Best Card in MLB The Show 25

MLB The Show 25 is deep into its content cycle, and with each new drop comes a wave of excitement, frustration, breakthroughs, and pure baseball chaos. Few moments embody that roller coaster better than diving into the Finest Debuts, experimenting with new lineups, and cracking open a long-awaited Chase Pack—something the community hadn’t seen in ages. But when San Diego Studio finally released a new one, it came with a monster: Finest Ian Happ, a switch-hitting, stat-stuffed powerhouse that instantly became the new face of the drop.

And yes, he might actually be better than Mickey Mantle.

This is the story of debuting the new Finest cards, building a wild new lineup, taking them into high-difficulty games, and experiencing every emotion baseball video games are designed to create—from jubilation, to tilt, to “gratificationalism,” the new word born from the madness. This is MLB 25 Stubs at its absolute best (and worst).

The Return of the Chase Pack – and the Arrival of a Monster

The long drought is over. The Chase Pack is finally back, and its headlining reward—Finest Ian Happ—is nothing short of ridiculous.

Calling him “a better version of Mickey” isn’t an exaggeration. Happ’s card is loaded all the way down:

125 Contact vs Right

115 Contact vs Left

125 Power vs Right

120 Power vs Left

125 Clutch

90 Fielding

84 Arm / 85 Accuracy / 88 Reaction

76 Speed

And yes… he has quirks. A lot of them.

A switch hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills, max-tier power, good speed, and Gold-level defense with quirks? That's a recipe for a day-one lineup lock.

Even with all the hype, one question loomed:

Would he perform?

That answer… took a few games to find.

Constructing the Ultimate Fun Lineup

Alongside the debut of Ian Happ, the roster went through a major overhaul. The new build included:

Ellie De La Cruz

Michael (Finest)

Ian Happ

Little Daddy Vlatty

Schwarby

Junior Camero

Jorge “Pada”

Juan Bomb

Trey Turner

It’s not the absolute sweatiest lineup you can create in MLB The Show 25—but it might be the most fun one. Power everywhere. Speed everywhere. Switch hitters sprinkled through the first half. Clutch ratings from top to bottom.

There were also special mentions waiting in the wings, including Mr. Dumper and Bobby, who were set aside so other debuts could shine first.

The lineup was ready. The energy was high. The rage was lurking.

Time to play some baseball.

Game One: Schwarby Saves the Day

The debut session opened against Bob Gibson, one of the toughest pitchers in the game—and on Legend difficulty no less. Visibility was terrible, nerves were high, and early at-bats looked hopeless.

Then, as always, Schwarby happened.

Whenever the offense sputters, whenever the team needs a spark, whenever the pitcher seems unhittable… Schwarber steps up and says:

“AJ, I got you, buddy.”

A tank. Annihilated. Game-changing energy.

From there, the entire lineup surged to life:

Junior Camero laced line drives like a superstar.

Juan Bomb proved why nobody should test him.

Vlatty came through with extra-base power.

Ellie caused havoc with elite speed.

Even when debut boy Happ struggled, his defense remained elite.

By the end, the team secured a 12–1 mercy-rule victory. Everything clicked except for Happ’s bat—but it was only Game One.

Game Two, however… was an entirely different story.

Game Two: Rage, Chaos, and One of the Wildest Games of the Year

This is the game where everything broke down—timing, plate discipline, luck, sanity, and the controller’s lifespan.

Facing Al Leiter at Oak Street, Game Two quickly turned into a frustration simulator:

Swinging early

Swinging late

Swinging at pitches thrown into other zip codes

Lining out repeatedly

Watching a perfect double-play ball turn into a run

Pitching around an opponent who sat dead-red every pitch

This is the type of game every MLB The Show player knows too well—the game where nothing makes sense, every mistake gets punished, and the baseball gods laugh at you while sipping Gatorade.

But even in chaos, there were highlights.

Michael goes nuclear.

A towering shot that said: “Don’t throw that pitch. Don’t do it.”

Junior Camero takes a super dot and launches it 400 feet.

This man refuses to lose his spot in the lineup.

Trey Turner hits his first home run.

Once the timing was set, he was unstoppable.

Ian Happ wakes up.

After a slow start, he suddenly began tallying hit after hit—eventually stacking a multi-hit performance and a home run.

The game spiraled into extra innings, full of:

Lineouts that would make grown men cry

Opponents guessing pitches they hadn’t guessed correctly all game

Sliders in the dirt being swung at like they were beach balls

Sinkers blasted 500 feet

Even the commentary devolved into a new, invented word:

Gratificationalism

“The profound sense of gratification one feels when hitting a same-handed home run.”

It was rage. It was comedy. It was genius.

It was baseball.

In the end, despite the chaos, the grind paid off with a hard-fought win—one of the ugliest, strangest wins of the season.

Game Three: The Breakout, the Bombs, and the Birth of a Catchphrase

Game Three re-centered everything. It brought back the sunshine, the big hits, and the joy of baseball.

This was where the lineup truly came alive, with:

Hip Hip (the new fan favorite)

He refused—absolutely refused—to give up his roster spot. Every at-bat was scorching.

Juan Bomb delivering upper-deck damage

Whenever the ball floats up in the zone, he sends it into orbit.

Schwarby continuing his MVP form

If he’s not hitting nukes, he’s driving in runs with perfect swings.

Camero silencing the critics

People questioned using him over Chip.

Camero responded with moonshots.

Ian Happ proving he belongs

After a slow debut game, he delivered:

Multi-hit games

Home runs

Gold Glove-level plays

This wasn’t just a strong performance—it was a takeover.

Every inning produced loud contact. Every swing contained violence. Balls left the bat at 115+ mph with frightening regularity. By the end, the team had racked up nearly 30 hits and close to 20 runs.

It was the offensive explosion that confirmed:

This lineup is legit.

And Happ?

Yeah. He’s him.

Why These Finest Cards Feel Special

MLB The Show 25’s Finest program already delivered incredible cards, but something about these debuts hit differently:

The swings feel crisp.

The attributes play above their ratings.

The quirks make a real difference.

Fielding animations are smoother.

The power ceiling is absurd.

The game is in one of its most enjoyable states of the year.

This content drop revitalized Diamond Dynasty.

Final Verdict: MLB The Show 25 at Peak Entertainment

This journey—from debuting the new Finest Ian Happ, to surviving the most rage-inducing game of the year, to launching a storm of home runs in Game Three—captures everything MLB The Show 25 is right now:

Electrifying card drops

Wild emotional moments

Lineups filled with legends and lightning

Hitting slumps and hitting streaks

Controller-throwing frustration

Unmatched baseball joy

And yes… gratificationalism

Happ proved he’s elite.

Camero proved he deserves a permanent roster spot.

Schwarby reminded everyone he’s a clutch god.

Juan Bomb is still terrifying.

And this team has the potential to go toe-to-toe with anyone online.

MLB The Show 25 continues to deliver unforgettable moments—and the Finest debuts only amplify how fun the game can be when everything clicks, even if you have to rage your way there cheap MLB The Show 25 Stubs.

If there’s one takeaway from this three-game saga, it’s this:

Baseball is chaos. MLB The Show is chaos. Embrace it. And if you can’t embrace it… at least gratify it.